Attention All Characters!
by Disney-fied
Summary: There's a new book series on the block, and it's time for auditions! Whether fanged or furred, impaired or empowered, it doesn't matter! Have a few screws loose? Perfectly acceptable! Certifiably insane? The more the merrier! The Lunar Chronicles is asking you – yes, YOU – to join our crazy cast of characters, and the sooner the better! on hiatus
1. Chapter 1

_Did insurance cover the fatalities of fictional characters? Was there even a thing that could be applicable to such fickle creatures? The author beheld the vision of chaos that lay beyond the smooth, wide office desk. Missing limbs. Chipped canines. Even the occasional sword-kabob. And, with all of this in mind, a stunning realization came. Why worry of them? It was her life on the line, and without her, these characters were nothing. With a growing sense of dread, Melissa Myers opened her laptop once more and prepared for the worst, with a single thought resounding in her head:_

_This was a really bad idea._

* * *

**Chapter One: Peasants, Pincushions, and Other Dilemmas (Sparkling Optional)**

_~~~ Three Days Ago ~~~_

THE END.

If someone would've told Melissa Myers that she could've written _four outlines _in a month, she would've laughed. She probably still would. But those two words stared up at her from the screen, a blinking confirmation that she had, in fact, succeeded.

She had the outline for her book series.

Melissa leaned back in her chair, very satisfied. She had the plot done. Finished. Complete. Now all she had to do was cast the characters to take the plot into their hands and write the story.

She reached for her phone and dialed her agent's number. It was his turn to do the work.

He picked up on the third ring – as usual. "It's finished."

Agent A. Agent (yes, his last name by some strange cosmic joke was actually Agent – and, no, he didn't become an agent because his last name was already Agent) was a humorless man of indeterminate age who assisted Melissa in every aspect of her writing that wasn't actually _writing_. If she wanted good, quality people to play the characters in her books, then all she had to do was ask.

"It's finished," she confirmed.

"I expect you'll want the characters next?"

Sometimes she wondered if he could read her mind. That would explain a lot of things, but no, Agent Agent was just very good at his job.

"As soon as possible, please. Do you have the advertisements–"

"They'll be up tomorrow morning. Thank you."

He hung up without another word – as usual. Melissa set the phone down and grinned.

It was over. She was finished.

* * *

The advertisement had appeared just that morning, quite suddenly if Levana did say so herself. It had garnered the attention of a wide motley of characters, all who were gathered around the poster.

The crowd was hardly daunting. Levana excelled by simply breathing: she was the living embodiment of beauty, of power, of grace. Anyone that said otherwise...would have differing opinions later. When she showed them what she was truly capable of.

Stiletto heels clicked against the pavement as she made her way over to mass. As if they sensed her amazing presence, the crowd moved around where she walked, forming a path leading to the poster. Like peasants. It was oddly adorable.

When she had at last reached the poster, she leaned forward to inspect it. The vivid colors basked in the full glare of the sun, calling attention to even the smallest detail of the poster.

**Attention All Characters!**

**There's a new book series on the block, and it's time for auditions! Whether fanged or furred, impaired or empowered, it doesn't matter! Have a few screws loose? Perfectly acceptable! Certifiably insane? The more the merrier! The Lunar Chronicles is asking you – yes, YOU – to join our crazy cast of characters, and the sooner the better!**

**For the audition of the first installment's main character, criteria include:**

**- a sparkling personality  
****- sparkling prosthetics  
****- sparkling wit  
****- resourcefulness (sparkling optional)**

**Auditions will commence in three days - prepare!**

Levana's lips curled into a sneer. The idea of auditioning for the main role _was_ appealing, and _of course_ she would receive it with ease, but to audition... with these... peasants? A bunch of nothings, no ones, nobodies? It was insulting! Even if the peasants were oddly adorable.

Staring at the spectacle of the poster with a growing thoughtfulness, Levana pondered her decisions. She was going to audition; there was no doubt about that. A challenge had been issued, and she was there to answer its call.

What she needed was a plan.

So, surrounded by a mass and contemplating her next move, Levana made a decision.

She was going to win this audition, no matter what the cost.

Even if a few peasants had to say goodbye in the most permanent, final way.

* * *

Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, was fully prepared for a challenging audition. She'd memorized the criteria (lots of sparkling things) and done a bit of her own research, though she couldn't find much about this new book series. All she found were old Cinderella fairy tales. Somehow, Annabeth didn't think that's what this role would be about.

When she walked in that morning (early, but not _too_ early), she'd picked herself a seat in the corner so she could scope out her competition.

There was a well-built, intimidating man on the far wall, hands folded nearly over his black suit and tie. Classic bodyguard. But he was no monster. If worse came to worst, she could fight him easily – she had her dagger strapped inside her boot.

Then there was the sulky girl over by the water fountain. Her plain brown hair was braided in a vaguely familiar style, hanging over her right shoulder, and she had an odd golden pin on her shirt. Annabeth swore she'd seen the girl somewhere before.

And then there was the _other_ girl. Annabeth didn't know what to make of her. Her clothes were... well, she very obviously did not have access to a washing machine. Like she was homeless. Choppy, windblown blonde hair. Various bruises. A very curious character.

Then there was a woman. All these other girls – minus the bodyguard, of course – were teenagers, like Annabeth. She had a slightly heart-shaped face, high cheekbones; auburn hair that fell in silken ringlets and unblemished ivory skin shimmered like mother-of-pearl.

She certainly had the whole "sparkling" thing down.

Annabeth was not concerned. She was sure she could beat out the other girls for the role. None of them exuded the confidence needed for an audition – except maybe that woman, but she seemed more snobbish than anything.

Annabeth frowned. She'd heard a rumor that there would be five candidates, including herself... but there were only four present.

Then, with a slam, all heads in the room swiveled around and saw _her_...

The author. Melissa Myers.

"Sorry," she said, apologizing for the noise. Then her face lit up in a smile. "Wow, okay. Hello, everyone!" She looked around and counted in a whisper, "One, two, three, four... oh, just four." She clapped her hands together. "Well, let's get started!"

Four sets of eyes were trained on her as she clicked across the tile to her desk, beside which the bodyguard had positioned himself. Melissa ruffled through the papers on the desk, shuffling through stacks of documents, and pulled a clipboard out of the clutter. Annabeth couldn't see what was on the clipboard, but she did see a flash of red – a very suspicious red piece of paper.

Melissa Myers grinned and turned the clipboard around. On it was a plastic bag with "hello, my name is" stickers in it. "I have name tags!"

Annabeth sighed.

"Alright then. First up..." She reached into the bag, not looking, and pulled a random name out of it. "Primrose Everdeen!"

The girl with the braid launched to her feet and said, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute – oh." Her voice suddenly dropped back to normal tones. She grimaced. "Sorry. Primrose... was my sister. But she is... ah..." Her face dipped into sadness, eyes staring off into the distance.

She stayed like that for at least fifteen seconds.

Melissa Myers cleared her throat.

The girl jumped.

"What's your name?" Melissa asked, uncapping a sharpie and crossing out the incorrect name on the sticker.

"Katniss Everdeen."

Melissa gave her the correct name tag and moved on to the next person. Katniss sat down slowly and stuck the tag underneath what Annabeth now recognized as the Mockingjay.

Melissa Myers stopped in front of the homeless girl and peered at her clipboard. "Uh... Maximum Ride?"

The girl glared up at the author. "The one and only." she said snidely.

"If you don't mind my asking, where did you get that name? It's very interesting, and–"

Max snatched the name tag and crossed her arms, effectively cutting Melissa off.

Annabeth sat back in her chair stiffly. _Yikes_.

Melissa took a step away, a little confused and surprised, and stared at her clipboard. Annabeth could practically see her regret. The author looked warily at the two remaining contestants and said, "Annabeth Chase?"

Annabeth calmly raised her hand and accepted the name tag with grace. The poor author was probably under a lot of stress, and these other contestants didn't seem to grasp the concept of social standards.

Melissa smiled weakly at Annabeth and called the last name: "Levana..." She turned to the woman. "Last name?"

The woman smiled beautifully. "Oh, just Levana, please."

Melissa blinked. "Right. Okay." She went back to the desk and frowned. In a low voice, she said, "Five people signed up to audition. I wonder where..."

Then door burst open, nearly sending Annabeth out of her chair in shock, and revealed a panting, flushed, and frantic girl. "Sorry I'm late." Her eyes landed on the name tags. "I'm Cinder."

* * *

There were perks to being a mechanic, of that Cinder was sure. She was part of the small sliver of the population that wasn't technologically challenged. She could fix a screen and in the same breath install a new power system. She could build an android from scratch or rewire an entire computer. She was the tech-savvy, never-surprised girl. Which meant that when her car suddenly decided to break down on the side of the road, she found herself very, very unpleasantly surprised.

It wasn't as if she could explain that to the several girls that were now gawking at her though. Standing in the doorway, she scuffed her boot against the tile floor and tugged at her haphazardly-done pony tail before shuffling into the room. With a quick glance around, Cinder re-evaluated her desire to audition.

With a barely lingering check, she counted several visible weapons of various sorts that were certainly _not_ the kind you took with your grandmother. If she didn't know better, the girls here looked more like the crowd that would show up for a criminal support group than an audition.

The one sane-appearing member of the group, a woman who was no doubt the author, reached out with a hesitance Cinder bet had a lot to do with her companions of the moment. "Name tag?"

Four pairs of eyes followed her trek across the room to the name tag. If looks could burn, Cinder would probably resemble something very close to her namesake. Slowly, she reached out and took the name tag from the woman. Stars, this was agonizing.

"Yeah. Got that." She nodded once, as if that confirmed something, and sat down next to a blonde girl with gray eyes as sharp as the blade whose hilt barely peeked out from her boot. What kind of person needed a knife at an audition? Surveying her fellow audition group once more, Cinder repressed a heavy sigh. Right. These people.

A throat cleared from the center of the room, and Cinder relaxed just slightly as the force of blatant stares focused on the woman. "So." The author rocked back on heels awkwardly. "Auditions will begin in a moment, when I return shortly." Then she left, and a bodyguard-type man in a corner pivoted on his heel and left through a door after her.

At once, the click of the door brought on a new level of silence. Cinder's gaze drifted once more to the concealed blade in the girl's boot beside her, and then lifted to find herself under the speculation of the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen.

The most beautiful woman Cinder had ever seen also happened to be regarding her as if she was the ugliest roach ever to have graced the bottom of her shoe. Cinder recoiled, just a little. So much for first impressions. The name tag crumpled in the grip of her tightening fingers, and she hastily shoved it into one of her pockets. The last thing she wanted was for any of _these_ people to know who she was. And it wasn't as if she was going to try to make friends, anyway.

Knife-girl gave a stifled sneeze, and Cinder handed her a packet of tissues with a muffled "thanks" in response.

Oh yeah. Real progress.

A voice broke the silence from the other side of the room. "So are we all here for the role of the main character?" A girl who reminded Cinder quite strongly of a walking poster kid for the homeless had spoken. "I'm Max, by the way. Maximum Ride."

The Barbie-esque woman raised a perfectly manicured brow. "Why wouldn't we, dear? Of course, I'm not certain that wearing garbage bags was the way to go about your audition, but... I'm sure the author will appreciate your... efforts... at method acting."

"Method acting?" The girl – Max – put her hands on her hips and glared at the woman. "Excuse me, but we're auditioning for the role of a classic _rags-to-riches_ story. I'm not sure what part of _rags_ you're supposed to be, blondie, but it sure as heck isn't _that_."

"Blonde? I suppose I gave your intelligence too much credit when I assumed you had the capabilities to recognize colors," she said, flipping her auburn curls over her shoulder.

"It's a figure of expression, you smart–"

"_Hey_!" Knife-girl beside Cinder held out her hands. "Calm down guys, there's no need to fight–"

"Says the girl with an oversized pin-cushion needle shoved inside her boot," Max retorted.

"It's called a dagger, and it's begging to be introduced to your face!" Suddenly she lunged, and chaos ensued from that point on.

For someone who claimed _not_ to have a pin cushion needle, Knife-girl certainly was making it her personal mission to turn Maximum Ride into a pin-cushion herself. Barbie girl was cat-clawing her way out of a chokehold with a girl who had her hair in a braid that Cinder hadn't noticed before, though she had _no_ idea whatsoever how those two got involved in the fighting. And standing there amidst all of it, a feeling akin to panic began to bubble up inside her. Why, oh _why_, hadn't she taken a wrench in with her? A big wrench that could bring on a really ugly hit. Was fate not kind of enough to do that? No?

But suddenly, a door swung open and hit the wall with a shuddering BOOM that shook dust from the ceiling, raining down on the group.

As Cinder stared at the towering shadow of the man in the doorway, she wondered if fate was smiling on her or slowly closing its hands in for the final blow.

* * *

Melissa Myers walked out of the waiting room fully expecting a minute or two (or three) to compose herself. When she was a safe distance away, she collapsed against the wall and put her head in her hands. "Remind me," she said to the agent waiting patiently behind her, "why I decided to be an author."

"Your biography says it was because you had an overactive imagination when you were young and enjoyed books immensely," Agent Agent said, almost quoting the text exactly.

She sighed. "And why on earth did I think this was a good idea?"

"I don't know, Mrs. Myers."

Her hands dropped to her sides, hanging limply. "Me either."

They sank into silence, only then hearing the shouts coming from the other room.

Melissa groaned. "Why is writing so _hard_?"

"Shall I go and interfere?" Agent Agent asked, annoyingly calm.

"Yes, please." She pushed off the wall and headed in the opposite direction. "I'll be in my office getting the audition notes together."

He turned and left, shoes clicking on the tile floor. He'd be able to handle whatever was going on in there.

She went to her office, turned the doorknob and flipped on the lights. Posters and pins of countless inspiration photos stared back at her, representing the struggle she'd gone through to get the outlines done just so she could get to this point.

Melissa sighed again. She was determined to bring this story into the world, and that meant she had to survive auditions. There was real talent back in that room from all five contestants. Any one of them would make an excellent main character.

_If they don't all kill each other first_.

* * *

**~Authors' Note~**

**Hi! It's Disney-fied! I'm here, bringing you an all-new story, along with my buddy, Turtle!**

_Hey, guys, Turtle here! I've been relegated to italics to minimize confusion!_

**And I am in bold letters. But anyway. As you probably figured out, this is not an... ordinary... story. This is all about the process Melissa Myers had to go through to write the books known as **_**the Lunar Chronicles**_**. But we made it like a movie, so she basically wrote the "script" and is now finding "actors" to play the characters. Yes, we will write chapters depicting the "filming" of the book. **

_And as you may have already noticed, one of the characters in particular in this story, Melissa Myers, mirrors another well-known Lunar Chronicles figure (Marissa Meyer, the author) but her name has been slightly altered. This is due to the site's prohibition of using real people as characters in a story. To stay within the site's guidelines we have altered this person's name, but to clarify this character (Melissa Myers) is completely fictitious!_

**Yep. Think of lovely Melissa as the author's imagination, or her conscience. **

**Anyway, for those of you who came here because of my other story, **_**Fear and Frustration**_**, thanks! We're glad you're here! And for all you new readers, welcome! This story is going to get really wild really fast, so check back here every Monday (hopefully – Band and Life get in the way more often than not) for a new chapter!**

**Roll credits!**

* * *

_Credits_

– Agent A. Agent, and the section describing him, belongs to Victoria Forester and her novel, _The Girl Who Could Fly_. The actual quote, found (in paperback copies) on page 56 is: "Agent A. Agent (yes, his last name by some strange cosmic joke was actually Agent – and, no, he didn't become an agent because his last name was already Agent) approved and scrupulously supervised every move."

– Katniss Everdeen belongs to Suzanne Collins and her trilogy, _The Hunger Games_

– Maximum Ride belongs to James Patterson and his series, _Maximum Ride_

– Annabeth Chase belongs to Rick Riordan and his series, _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _and the _Heroes of Olympus_

– All other characters belong to Marissa Meyer and her series, _The Lunar Chronicles_

– Barbie belongs Mattel

**P.S. – because of the number of characters belonging to other things, this will not be in the crossover fanfiction section, because I'm not sure that would work very well. **

**Reviews are the best way to inspire a writer to write!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Somewhere, in the back of Cinder's head, she knew that this shouldn't be happening. Melissa Myers's words kept echoing through her head, and some part of her kept denying it. No, no, no. She wasn't. She couldn't be. But the words were there anyway. As she looked around the room, searching for an explanation, she found one, sitting right next to her._

_It had porcelain skin and red, red hair._

* * *

**Chapter Two: Trifles, Trauma, and Villains**

It almost seemed strange, how still a person could become. Maximum Ride's fist was still poised in the air, ready to knock Knife-girl back into the dark ages, as was the Barbie in her chokehold, fingers ready to claw. Cinder wasn't sure what was worse: the look of pure, unadulterated venom that burned in the Barbie's eyes, or the equally terrifying yet stoic gaze of the man that stood in the doorway. His look was cool, refined: if he had any thoughts of the fight, they weren't conveyed in his brittle mask of a face. His eyes swept over the rigid crowd, and Cinder wondered what sort of punishment would fall upon them. There was no doubt in her mind that the man now held reservations towards the auditions that was about to take place.

But the man simply cleared his throat, retrieved a clipboard, and blinked with empty, empty eyes.

"Auditions will take place in a moment. You will be given a script from the story and asked to read a selection of it to your best ability. Callbacks will be posted later."

He was about to turn then, to notify Mrs. Myers mostly likely, when Knife-girl spoke up. "Ah, excuse me, Mr...?"

"Agent."

"Mr. Agent. Will this script reading be the _only_ part of our audition?"

In a rare show of emotion, the corners of Mr. Agent's lips turned upwards, just as Cinder's stomach did at the sight, and she decided she'd liked him _much_ better when he'd displayed the emotional capabilities of a robot. "For now. Though later, I'm sure that Mrs. Myers and I will take a more... _experimental_ approach to the auditions."

And then he left, his last words echoing in Cinder's head. _Experimental_. As if the girls were lab rats to be manipulated, expendable. And while she chewed on those sour words of thought, Cinder wondered _what_, exactly, had she signed up for.

* * *

Melissa was in her office for two minutes, three at the most. But when she walked back out into the public room, all five contestants were sitting peacefully once more (though they were decidedly more unkempt). Frowning, she glanced over at Agent Agent. He was an emotionless rock, as usual, but Melissa figured he'd done something clever to calm them.

She cleared her throat and glanced at her clipboard. "Maximum Ride? You're up first."

The blonde girl stood up and flicked dust off her pants. "Right-o, Captain."

Melissa blinked away her discomfort. _Oh, stars, _please_ let me come out of this alive._

She handed Max the appropriate script and seated herself behind the desk, pencil in hand. "The highlighted section is the audition material. You will be reading the main character, while I will do all other lines. Okay?"

Max shrugged. "Whatever."

Melissa forced a smile. "Then let's get started." She flipped to the first page of the scene and looked at the part. "_Ready the ratio detector, if you please_," she said, adopting a hint of the accent she imagined for this character.

She watched Max read the stage directions and frown, but then Max blinked her eyes dramatically. Melissa smiled. "_Ah! Juliet awakens_."

Max's eyes darted around the audition room, never staying in one place too long.

Melissa jotted that down on her notes sheet. "_How are you feeling, Miss, uh... Miss Linh_?"

Though the girl didn't give up her act, Melissa could tell that Max was getting annoyed with her only directions being simple body movements. "_If you will just hold still and cooperate, we won't take up too much of your time_," Melissa said quickly.

Max scowled. "_Very funny. I didn't sign up for this. I didn't volunteer for your stupid tests_." Her scowl turned into something different, something bordering on fear. "_Keep that thing away from me_."

"_This won't hurt a bit, Miss Linh_." Melissa's forehead crinkled when Max's discomfort didn't fade.

Max swallowed. "_I don't care_," she snarled. "_Stay out of my head. I'm not one of your lemming volunteers_."

Melissa huffed. "_I have a signature here from a Mrs. Linh. You must know her_?"

"_She's not my mother_!" Max yelled. "_She's just_–"

"_Your legal guardian_?"

Max stopped and stared at the paper, lips pinched, as if deciding whether or not to continue. "_This isn't right_," she said finally.

"_Don't fret, Miss Linh. You are doing your fellow citizens a great service by being here_."

Max shot Melissa a glare worthy of a protagonist. "_Yeah? And what'd they ever do for me_?"

"_Med, please proceed_."

Max read the stage directions as Melissa did, but instead of reading her next line, she leapt to her feet. "What are they doing to her!" she demanded.

Melissa cringed at the sudden outburst. "What do you mean?" _Please don't kill me._

Max jabbed at the script. "This Linh girl – what are they doing to her?"

"Um, plague testing."

"_What_!"

Melissa held her hands out, placating. "Max, please, would you calm down? I'm sure we–"

"No! Can you even comprehend the horrors of laboratory science to human testing victims?"

Melissa sank down in her chair. "I–"

"No, you can't. But I can, because guess what! I _was_ a lab experiment!" Max slung her jacket off and revealed, to the shock of everyone else in the room, a beautiful set of wings.

_Wings_.

"Do you like feeling like an oversized chicken? No?"

Flabbergasted, Melissa stared, mouth gaping.

"Do you like getting poked with needles? Not really? It's not that smart to poke people with needles, either. It's like poking a bear with a stick. Do _you_ like poking bears with sticks?"

Melissa gave a wordless reply that almost seemed to mimic the bleat of a lamb. She could only watch as the winged girl turned, grabbed her jacket, and stalked out the door, slamming it behind her.

Slowly, Melissa let herself relax and met Agent Agent's concerned gaze. "Shall we move on?" he asked.

She nodded. "One down, four to go."

* * *

Katniss Everdeen was up next. Melissa was acutely aware of the impending disaster.

Script in hand, she read the scene setup. "The main character's younger stepsister, who she loves very dearly, is dying of the plague in the quarantines just as the antidote has been found." Melissa nodded at Katniss to start.

Katniss peered down at her script. "_Sister_?" she started, adding in the perfect amount of concern and the teeniest bit of hope. "_Stars, I came as soon as I heard_." She stopped, read the stage directions, and began again. "_It's going to be all right. I brought something for you. Can you sit up_?"

Melissa offered no reply, which was answer enough.

Katniss swallowed. "_Hey, listen to me. I need you to sit up. Can you do that_?"

Melissa intended to make her voice sound hoarse, but that ended in a squeak. "_Mom_?"

"_She's at home_. _She doesn't know_–" Katniss bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. Melissa stilled and watched, concerned, but soon she opened her eyes and pressed onward. "_Come on, I'll help you_."

They both paused for stage directions.

"_I'm sorry_," Katniss croaked, "_but I need you to drink this. It's from the palace. It might help. Do you understand? A _cure_, sister. An antidote_."

Melissa said nothing, and Katniss flinched. "_No... sister, didn't you hear me? You have to drink this."_

The only lines left on the page were for Katniss, but she was openly crying now. "_Sister_." Her body shook once. "_Sister, _please."

Katniss set the script down slowly, staring at it like it was a bomb, and then burst into sobs. She covered her face with her hands and sat there, crying, shaking, despairing. Melissa and the rest of the people in the room awkwardly watched, or awkwardly averted their eyes until Katniss had calmed down enough to talk.

She met Melissa's gaze with watery, bloodshot eyes, tears streaking down her cheeks. "May I... can I be excused?"

Melissa nodded wordlessly.

Katniss pushed away from the desk and ran out the door, crying. Melissa caught one word – a flower? – before the door shut behind her.

And then there were three.

* * *

Melissa's regret for hosting auditions was in full force. Two people had already run from the room with high emotions, and the three that were left looked vaguely terrified. Melissa didn't blame them – she almost wanted to cancel the whole thing.

Almost.

Firstly, she was nearly halfway through the process. (But she also had a ton of other characters to audition.)

Secondly, she _really_ wanted her book to become a reality. (But was suffering through auditions worth it?)

Thirdly, she had to pay Agent Agent somehow.

Sadly, the last reason was what convinced her to call the next contestant to the front. "Annabeth Chase?"

At least this girl seemed... somewhat stable.

Melissa tiredly handed her the script and rubbed her eyes. _Here we go again_.

Annabeth skimmed the page before assuming a furious face. "_How dare you send for me like some common criminal? Didn't you think that maybe I was in the middle of something_?"

"_How dare I treat you like a common cyborg, you mean_?" Melissa retorted sharply. "_You are a common cyborg, and one who is under my legal jurisdiction. It is my duty to ensure you don't become a menace to society, and it seemed quite clear that you were abusing the privileges I've allowed you in the past_."

"_What privileges_?"

"_I have always allowed you freedom to do as you like, to go where you like. But it's come to my attention that you do not respect the boundaries and responsibilities that come with that freedom._"

Annabeth's mouth dropped open, outraged. "_Is this because I didn't respond to a few comms_?"

"_What were you doing at the palace today_?"

Annabeth blinked. "_The palace? You've been tracking my ID_."

"_You've made it necessary to take precautions_."

"_I haven't done anything_!" Annabeth yelled.

"_You haven't answered my question_."

"_I-I went to join the protests, all right? Is that a crime_?"

"_I was under the impression that you were in the basement, working, as you were supposed to be doing. To sneak out of the house without permission, without even informing me, to attend some gratuitous parade, and the while my daughter is_–" Melissa cut herself off. "_Your records also show you took a hover ride today, to the outskirts of the city, the old warehouse district. It seems clear to me that you were attempting to run away_."

Annabeth jerked, shock etched into her face. Then came recognition. She read the next line slowly, testing every word before she said it. "_Run away? No. There is... that's where... There's an old parts store down there. I was going for parts_."

"_Is that so? And pray tell, where did you get the money for the hover_?"

Though the stage directions said to do the opposite, Annabeth held Melissa's eyes with a steady stare, as if she knew something everyone else didn't. Dread pinched at Melissa's stomach.

"_This is unacceptable_," Melissa said. "_I will not tolerate such behavior from you. After everything I've done for you... everything we've sacrificed, you have the gall to_ steal_ from me_."

The next line was marked as Annabeth's, but she didn't say it. Instead, she closed the script and set it on the desk, folding her hands neatly on top of it. "I've figured it out, Mrs. Myers," she said simply.

Melissa tilted her head.

"Tell me, did you purposely give each of us these scenes?"

She drew back. "What?"

"It seems like, to me, that you have tailored each of our scenes to parallel our own backgrounds in an attempt to emotionally manipulate us."

Melissa stared. "Excuse me?" She was trying with great effort not to let her eyes stray to her character profiles, sitting right on top of her desk. Each happened to be color coded to each character's specific weakness. Which, of course, was completely an accident.

Of course.

Annabeth leaned back in her chair. "My guess is yes, you did, and I usually guess correctly."

It was at that moment that Agent Agent decided to step in. "Miss Chase, I would recommend you stop accusing Mrs. Myers."

Annabeth shrugged and looked back at Melissa. "I'll have you know that my stepmother is very nice," she said, and then she picked up the script once more and continued reading.

Melissa let out a breath. _This better not get any worse._

* * *

Cinder had finally learned the Barbie's name today, as much as she _hadn't _wished to be enlightened to it. Levana. It was a pretty, flowing name that most certainly matched her beauty.

It was too bad the woman's personality couldn't fit as well.

Even before seeing her impressive résumé, Cinder had heard of it _extensively_ while waiting in line for her own audition.

"I'm feeling quite refreshed now for my audition, which I'm sure will go brilliantly, of course. I _am _a renowned, world–class actor."

"Really."

"Oh, a few months ago I played the most _wonderful_ role in a movie... it was the starring role, _obviously_."

"But of course."

"I was a young, naïve farm girl, who falls in love with a city boy–"

"How charming."

"–So of course, I'll be able to play this part with ease. I don't mean any offense, of course, but I'm fairly sure you won't stand a chance against me, dear."

"Glad to hear it."

And so forth.

And as the day went on, watching audition after audition accompanied by Levana's endless commentary, Cinder had become convinced that _yes_, Levana _did_ have an extreme talent.

Never before had some completely rubbed her the wrong way with such ease.

At first, she'd been mildly annoying.

And then came the talk of her acting career.

And her multi-million dollar story of fame and success.

And her many, many adoring fans.

Despite all of this, the only fascination Cinder held towards Levana was the beauty queen's complete and utter narcissism. By the time the auditions were drawing near to its end and it was Levana's turn to audition, Cinder was half-relieved to be excused from the woman's dreadful presence and half-curious to see if her boasting had any merit. Cinder watched as Levana was handed the appropriate script. This one was apparently free of psychological trauma triggers, which was fortunate – whatever put a shadow on Levana's day Cinder _definitely_ didn't want darkening her doorstep.

From across the room, Melissa Myers picked up her script, her voice rough from hours of auditions. "_I feel like I'm going to ruin everything_."

Cinder watched as Levana's plastic-doll face shifted into something eerily empathetic. "_You won't_," she said, a lovely lilt caressing the words as she glanced down in faux anxiety. Cinder watched the author's hands, the knuckles a prominent white where they clenched each other. "_You're going to be one of those emperors that everyone loves and admires_."

"_Yeah. I'm sure_." Melissa's voice, flat and hoarse, hardly needed acting to sell the performance of a dejected prince.

"_I mean it. Look how much you care, how hard you're trying, and you're not even emperor yet_." Levana's voice, earnest as it was saccharine, seemed to ooze into Cinder's every pore. "_Besides. It's not like you're alone. You have advisers and province reps and secretaries and treasurers and... I mean, really, how much harm can one man possibly do on his own_?" Despite her tone remaining as open and honest as ever, a shadow seemed to flit across the woman's face at her last words, as if she was wondering what damage could truly be done.

Melissa let out a dry laugh. "_You're not really making me feel much better, but I appreciate the effort_." She paused. "_I shouldn't be telling you all this, anyway. It isn't your problem to worry about. It's__just... you're easy to talk to_."

The irony of the audition seemed to fully hit Cinder then: Levana, a self-centered beauty, playing the role of an awkward teen attempting to comfort a prince in crisis. And even as the woman pasted on a smile that was as effortless as the honeyed words that poured from her lips, the acting seemed almost translucent – if you looked beneath the mask of her scripted words, the ugly beauty was visible just under the surface.

Melissa's words rang across the room, bringing Cinder back from her thoughts. "_Imagine there was a cure, but finding it would cost you everything. It would completely ruin your life. What would you do_?"

Cinder closed her eyes very slowly, Levana's sugary voice digging into her mind one word at a time. "Ruin _my_ life to save a million others? It's not much of a choice."

It was so fake. So false. So _not_ the character she was supposed to be.

But as Melissa's voice rang out the final lines, Cinder knew the author thought she'd found the right character for the main role. "_You're right. There's no real choice_."

_Except Levana_, her words seemed to say.

_How wonderful_.

* * *

Cinder had come fairly prepared for her audition. Under normal circumstances, she would have done absolutely fine.

Unfortunately, those normal circumstances failed to present themselves.

It had all started with *the switch*. Not just any switch, but the one that would change the progression of Cinder's audition - and sanity - for good. In a way, perhaps Cinder could have prevented it herself.

But then, Cinder had not.

Seven minutes earlier, Melissa Myers handed her the script that would doom her. Sitting back at her desk, she cleared her throat for the hundredth time of the day in an attempt to soften her voice, but without prevail. Cinder stared at her for a moment, but the author merely waved her hand. "Go ahead. Read." As she spoke, her eyes drifted to Levana.

Cinder fought back a scowl, took a breath, and read the first line in her head.

_How dare you_.

Outrage, then. The main character was angry, shocked even. Cinder could play that part – and she did, reading the first line with a stunning ferocity that lit up Melissa Myers's eyes. She straightened in her desk, and Cinder fought back a smile before reading the next line.

And froze.

_Speak, you disgusting Earthen_.

That wasn't a main character line from the book. It didn't even _remotely_ suit the personality of that character. Slowly, Cinder looked up to Melissa's expectant face, and turned to look at the woman beside her.

Levana was smiling.

Melissa Myers cleared her throat, and Cinder could almost hear the unsaid words:

_I'm waiting_.

Cinder swallowed the question on her lips and set her shoulders. If this was her audition material, so be it. Maybe this really _was_ the main character... just with a backwards moral compass.

"_Speak, you disgusting Earthen! How dare you insult me_!"

Melissa blinked at her for a second, seemingly mute, and then frowned. She flipped through several pages of her script before a smile lit her face and she read. "_Your Majesty_–"

_Your Majesty_?

"_Sybil_!"

"_My Queen_," Melissa said.

_My Queen_?

Cinder paused, and her fingers shook slightly before she dug them into the paper of the script, her stomach sinking.

"_This human has shown disrespect. It is not to be tolerated_." Cinder had never felt so sick in her life, reading those words. These weren't the words of a self-conscious teen as much as a self-righteous psychopath.

"_Your Majesty_!" Melissa said. "_Please, calm yourself. We do not know that this woman is to blame. We mustn't jump to conclusions_."

She added in another response – from the woman named Sybil, Cinder supposed.

As the audition carried on, Cinder continued to read with the same tone of arrogance and power, and none of the compassion of the main character before. The last few lines were undoubtedly the worst.

"_Your Majesty_–"

"_I will retire to my quarters_," Cinder snapped, the weight in her chest hanging low. "_I have learned something valuable about you tonight, young prince. I hope you have learned something about me, as well_."

Melissa's eyes narrowed in anger, and as fake as it might have been, it still hurt the tiniest bit. "_That you prefer to rule through fear rather than justice? So sorry, Your Majesty, I'm afraid I already knew that about you_."

She felt like a criminal. "_No, indeed. I hoped you noticed that I am capable of choosing my battles_." Her voice was hard as her final words rang out: "_If that's what it takes to win the war_."

She set the script down immediately. This was the audition for the _main character_. When had everything become so confusing?

It began to register in the back of her head that someone, somewhere, was clapping. It was Melissa, beaming. "Brilliant! That was absolutely brilliant!"

Cinder tilted her head. "Brilliant? I felt like a villain!"

Melissa's smile faltered. "Well, you wanted to audition for the role of the villain, didn't you?"

Cinder froze.

* * *

_Hey guys, Turtle here! I really hope you enjoyed this week's chapter! So, as many fellow writers out there may know, feedback is a precious, precious thing. It inspires and drives a writer to write! We absolutely love feedback! So, (in shameless advertising so Disney-fied and I can boost our writing morale) we have a question of the day for you, and we'd love to hear your responses in the review section!_

_The question of the day is:_

What was your favorite audition and why?

_We'd love to know!_

**Yes, we would! (this is Disney-fied by the way) **

**To resurrect a tradition from my first story, Turtle and I will now officially start The Tally!**

**- 3 reviews – lots of thanks and hugs to a guest, Ashley Sky, and aPeurDeFISH1412  
****- 2 favorites – thanks, Ashley Sky and Banana Kisses  
****- 2 followers – hugs to Ashley Sky and aPeurDeFISH1412  
****- 117 views – thank you, everyone!**

* * *

_Credits_

– Agent A. Agent belongs to Victoria Forester and her novel, _The Girl Who Could Fly_

– Katniss Everdeen belongs to Suzanne Collins and her trilogy, _The Hunger Games_

– Maximum Ride belongs to James Patterson and his series, _Maximum Ride_

– Annabeth Chase belongs to Rick Riordan and his series, _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _and the _Heroes of Olympus_

– All other characters belong to Marissa Meyer and her series, _The Lunar Chronicles_

– Barbie belongs Mattel


	3. Chapter 3

Hey readers!

So, as some of you may have noticed, Disneyfied and I both promised to post a new chapter every Monday. Obviously, from the state of our chapter count and posting date, both of us have failed at this. When we first dreamed up writing this, it was the summer and we were obligation, school, and commitment-free, so the prospect of writing a chapter a week was hardly daunting. However, we took the commitment of writing not considering the amount of hours put into marching band and school. On a normal day, Disneyfied and I are at the school before seven am and aren't home until after seven at night. With this we have the homework load of all Pre-AP and AP courses, and our weekends are filled with band contests. Clearly, that doesn't leave a lot of time for writing. So, Disneyfied and I have come to the mutual decision to go on a writing hiatus until the marching mania fades (sometime around November, hopefully). When the next chapter is posted, this message will be replaced.

Thanks for understanding!

-Turtle

* * *

**Hi friends, I'm really sorry about not updating. :( I know what it feels like to wait forever on an update. But in all honesty, balancing band and school has been a complete nightmare. I am an A student, and my grades have slipped to a scary amount of Bs. I have high standards for myself and this only adds to the stress, and the lack of sleep.**

**You may be feeling no pity for us, and I don't blame you, but our normal day consists of:**

**- Hour and a half of band rehearsal  
****- Eight hours of school  
****- 2-3 hours of rehearsal after school  
****- 2 hours (at least) of homework**

**Totaled up for a 5 day week, I have 40 hours of school, 8 hours of marching band practice, and 6 and a half hours of percussion ensemble rehearsal. Add on homework time, sleep, eating, travel time... and that's not including football games, weekend contests, and whatever else I have to do. Hence, I've been really stressed.**

**It may not sound bad, but it's a lot to handle. **

**On a positive note, one of you reviewers made my insanely bad day last week a whole lot better. :) the magic of feedback can turn the darkest storm cloud away. So I'd like to say thank you for that.**

**And I'm promising that we **_**will**_** be back. There'll be a notice in the summary, so check back often?**

**Thanks,**

**Disneyfied**


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